HOW TO DRAW: Body

STEP 1.

 Here's a simplified form of the female body. No matter what shape, size, or type of female your drawing, they are all curvy. Sometimes it depends on the breast size as well to make these "curves". Focus your female anatomy practices towards the waist and hips area. This is the most important part of a woman that really shows through their special features. A woman's shoulders are almost always curved and soft. They don't jolt outwards in sharp - straight angles. Remind yourself to add definition to their lower and upper waist. A belly button should be no larger then four centimeters high.

 

STEP 2.

 When drawing a woman, you'll want to focus on drawing the waist. The same applies to men as well. The waist supports most of body's balance, as well as motions. Its also the body part that needs most of it's attention due to so much activity it praises. The black line slicing the body in half is the "line of motion" which guides the character's body motion. It's important to label the "line of motion" on your character's pose.

 

STEP 3.

 Drawing the male body is a lot tougher then drawing a female body. There's so many important details to focus on for a male. There are two types of bodies they can be drawn in; the average body and the muscular type. Of course the muscular type is the most desirable. It also gives your character more personality and self esteem. To make things easier, start with drawing a male body that isn't so buff. Some characters can be drawn with a semi-masculine body. What that means is that they have characteristics of a female and male body combined. Get a book on poses and study them. Time yourself to one minute and sketch down the visualized pose at a quick pace.

 

STEP 4.

 The main focal point on drawing a muscular man, is basically the Abdominal muscles, the Deltoids, and the Pectorals. These are the main focuses you should direct your practices to. As you can see, the Pectorals connect to the Deltoids. They flush into one another to create a unified look. NEVER draw the Ab muscles narrow. Keep them packed together and evened with each side of the stomach. There should be six abs drawn nice and even.

 

STEP 5.

 "How to change male to female", what a straight forward phrase! As you can see, the blue line art and colors denote where breasts would go for females. The figure without the breasts is the typical body type for the average male. Female Pectoral muscles are covered by the fatty tissues of the breasts, therefore hiding the definition of the Pectorals. There is little muscle definition visible on a female. It's a different page if you want a buff female, which would look a bit awkward.

 

STEP 6.

 The spine of the human body is a very miraculous thing. It can also be a stubborn concept to master. I myself haven't mastered the importance of the spine. You can safely call the spine the "line of motion" as well. This is what glues the human body together, let alone the skeleton. Spines are very flexible and shouldn't be taken granted. There is only so much a human body can go through before it's realism gets out of hand. Direct your practices towards the spine when creating variety of poses.

 

STEP 7.

 When you draw a body from the back view, there are a few important details you should be keen on. First off, you should see definition of the shoulder blades. If you're viewing someone from the 3/4 back view, you'll be able to see a bit of a shoulder blade "popping out". Second, you should see some definition of the spine. Use short and sweet lines to bring out the beauty of that spine. Lastly, you should be able to see tone of the back muscles which trickle down to the butt crack. All of these rules apply to both sexes.

 

STEP 8.

 Now, to practice what you have learned above, we're going to draw a little warm up with step-by-step instructions. The host for this tutorial is of a female descent in a 3/4 pose. I find that many people draw females a lot easier then they do with men. Start this pose off by sketching the basic framework for the head, hair, and torso. Keep in mind where you're going to place the "line of motion".

 

STEP 9.

 Next, draw the strange styled hair and face shape. It's always smart and helpful drawing the head first and then work your way down.

 

STEP 10.

 Then, draw the shoulders, breasts, and arm. It would be ideal to make sure the shoulders are nice and loose, unlike the muscular and sturdy shoulders of the male body. Finish off the inner details of the face as well.

 

STEP 11.

 Lastly, finish off the curvy body for this figure. ALWAYS pay attention to the abdominal area. There should be definition of the ribcage and lower abs. Make sure the belly button isn't too large too. There should always be a brief dividing line that splits in the middle with the belly button.

 

STEP 12.

 Well, you're pretty much finished with this tutorial! I really hope this drawing tutorial has taught you some tips and tricks on drawing the body. It took me a very long time to get this tutorial the way it is. Be sure to share this with your friends! Thanks for viewing and don't forget to leave behind some feedback!